Book: The Last Best Trails Montana

It’s hard to imagine the sheer time and effort needed to create a comprehensive guide to southwest Montana’s hiking, biking, and ski trails. Luckily, you won’t ever have to take on such a monolithic task, because Bryan Schaeffer has done it for you. In his book, The Last Best Trails Montana (SINTR, $30), he covers a multitude of trails in Bozeman, Big Sky, and the surrounding area. It’s filled with detailed artwork and illustrations that complement trail maps and interesting local facts. I’m particularly impressed with Shaeffer’s gear rundowns, and he even dives into different bike geometries. The book’s also got QR codes that link to relevant videos, maps, and podcasts. All in all, Schaeffer’s guidebook should be a coffee-table mainstay for any Bozeman local, and an essential reference for visitors.